Human rights activists involved with the Black Lives Matter movement held a rally and march this past Sunday to honor Malcolm X and help launch a campaign to create a day celebrating his importance in the civil rights movement.
The rally began outside of the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building on 125th Street and ended with a march leading up to a secondary rally outside of The Audobon Ballroom on 165th Street where Malcolm X was shot and killed on February 21st, 50 years ago this month.
Ty Blizzy Black, an organizers for the rally stated “Malcolm X didn’t get a day, because he wasn’t passive. He’s done just as much for our people as Martin. They both had to exist at the same time for true progress to be made. They both were out here the same way. I don’t knock him for going out in harsh strength. I wish they would have united sooner, but as far as I’m concerned they’re united now, and I will acknowledge them today. No dividing. Malcolm X & Martin Luther King day.”
In addition to calling for the creation of a Malcolm X day, this rally continued the call for justice of the innocent men, women and children that have lost their lives due to lethal force used from law enforcement officers and for the ouster of elected/public officials that do little to bring the immediate real progressive change that is needed.
Nicholas Heyward the father of Nicholas Heyward Jr. Who at the age of 13 was murdered by NYPD stated “There’s a lot of Black elected officials we need to get out of office also. Those who supported Bratton to be the next commissioner needs to go also. That means Tish James, Eric Adams, Al Sharpton. We need to start denouncing all them. They need to go!”
